El Dia de los Muertos on November 1st is an important religious holiday in Mexico. Also called All Soul's Day, it is an occasion marked by festive celebrations to honor the dead. Cemeteries are cleaned and decorated, special food and candies cooked, and home altars are designed in homage to one's ancestors. It is a day of joyous remembrance, not of sadness. The special songs, poems, foods and toys created for El Dia de los Muertos reflect this outlook.